May the odds be ever in your favour
by achb687
Summary: Arianna Burns is a quiet girl you could say, she lives with her mom and dad but no one really likes her. You could say there's a language barrier.
1. Part 1 The Name

"Arianna! Arianna Burns!" My mother calls into my room. I'm awake, lying in bed so I have to get up. I get up and walk over to the tub in the only bathroom in the house. My mother drew a bath for me so I can get ready for the reaping.

The reaping is a selection process where our escort, Green Pine, he comes every year and chooses two tributes. One girl and one boy are brought to The Capital, made to be beautiful and then are put into an area with 22 other children to fight to the death. District 7's past tributes, who have won, our victors, are Johanna Mason and Troy Moon.

After I've cleaned myself and gotten dressed in my best dress. It's a dark green with lighter green accents. Wearing this dress with my wet red hair down my back I feel like I might be from The Capitol, or at least a wealthier District.

There are 12 districts. Each district becomes less wealthy the further away they are from The Capitol. The district order is how we are placed. So naturally districts 1,2,3,4 are really wealthy and 11 and 12 are the least.

I walk into the kitchen and my mother and father are sitting at the table and turn to see me enter.

"Arianna you need to eat today's the reaping so we got you something." My mother said. My father handed me a small ring box.

"It was several weeks pay but it was worth it." He said. I opened the box to see a small pin. On the pin was a music note.

I looked at my parents and made the hand sign for Thank you. The reason I'm making hand signs is that I'm mute. I was born with all my vocal cords and I can use them but I can't say words. That's why the pin is a music note. Most of the time at home, I sing my answers, like do mi is yes and do re is no. My mother is the music teacher at school and having me sing my answers was her idea and my father is learning to distinguish notes. But when I was born the doctors told my parents that they shouldn't keep me because I will never be able to talk. Probably because I never made any noise as a baby and when I cried it sounded like an avox crying. My father immediately bought a book to learn how to do sign language. My mother and father know sign language and taught it to me when I was 'learning to speak'.

"You're welcome Arianna." My mother says as I pin it to my dress, this pin will give me strength in the hours to come.

My mother brushed my hair as it dried. When it was time to line up my hair was dry and we walk to the square. After I sign in my parents can't come with me, they will be watching and hoping that I'm not picked.

My straight flat red hair at my back I walk to the 15 year old area and look t the stage. A lot of people are looking at the stage but some are looking at siblings or friends. I don't have any friends. In my first year of school a lot of girls wanted to be my friends but none of them understood that I couldn't talk. They thought I was ignoring them. At school when I am asked to answer a question, which doesn't happen often, I write it on a piece of paper and hold it up.

On stage was a podium two glass balls and four chairs, in the chairs are Green Pine, Johanna Mason, Troy Moon and Mayor Keedo. Once everyone is signed in Mayor Keedo walks to the podium and starts to explain the history of The Hunger Games.

I look at the Glass balls on stage one for the girls and one for the boys. At the age of 12 your name is put in the ball once and each year until you 18 they add one more name. But with some district don't have enough food you can add your name again and receive tesery, enough grain and oil for one person for an entire year.

I have never needed to take tesery but my name is in the girls' ball 4 times. After the Mayor is done Green Pine is up to the podium and is saying his phrase "Happy Hunger Games and May the odds be ever in my favor!" then he says "ladies first!" and he walks over to the girls' ball and picks out a name. He walks back to the microphone and says the name "Mamie Oak."

Mamie Oak she's a 12 year old, I've seen her at school she won't stand a chance. I see her walking towards the stage. And I know no one will volunteer for her because no one volunteers.

I run in front of her and look at the camera on the stage and I sign the words I was told never to sign. On the big screens it shows me signing these words. And from the audience my mother and father start crying their eyes out. Everyone is silent accept for my parents. Mamie looks at me scared and looks at the stage.

"Sorry dear but I need you to go back to your area." Green tells me through the microphone.

"She just said she wanted to volunteer." Called a voice from the boys' side of the square. I look at the boys' area but their all looking at me but none of them are moving their moths so I don't know who the speaker was but one thing's for sure they can read sign language.

"Well then come up her sweet child and introduce yourself." Green says to me. I turn to Mamie and nudge her to go back to the 12 area. And then I walk to the stage. Once I get on stage at the back of the square my mother is trying to run to me but the peace keepers are holding her back. "What's your name Child?" Green asked, he hands me the microphone and I look at the audience and can't say a word. "Child don't be shy, what's your name?" he says to me again.

My mother screams to Green "She can't tell you!" Green looks at her and asked her why. "She can't speak!" she screamed back. Green looks at me and then at my mother.

"Do you understand her?" he asked.

"Yes!" she calls. And then the peace keepers let her go and she walks up to the podium and looks at me.

"So what is her name?" Green asks her.

I sign my name to her and into the microphone she says flatly, "Arianna Burns."

"Well thank you miss." Green says to her and motions to me to sit and to my mother to stand behind me. I hold my head up high and look at a cloud in the sky. "Well now let's pick our boy tribute." Green says walking to the other ball. He picks a name and says the name of the boy that will be my enemy. "Tyler Moon"

Tyler he's the son of Troy Moon our victor. I look to see him walking up to the podium he has long brown hair and bright blue eyes he walks to the chair next to mine and sits. Green asks for volunteers and I guess as Tyler knew no one volunteered. Green has us shake hands and the stand for the anthem of Panem.

After the anthem peace keeper lead us to the justice building and Tyler and I get a half an hour to see the people we love. We each get a separate room and my mother is next to me the entire time.

First to visit me is my father and he and my mother tell me that I was stupid to do what I did and that they love and that they want me to come home. I tell them that I would try my hardest to come home and that I love them and that I wanted to protect Mamie. Then the peace keeper comes to the door and my father is asked to leave.

Second to my surprise, is Mamie and her family. Mamie has three older siblings and a mother. And they are all thanking me for saving Mamie and that they will cheer me on in the games. Mamie sits on my lap as their telling me this. I sign that I will fight to show them that I will try to come home and my mother tells them what I'm saying to them. They all give me a hug and before they leave I hug Mamie and sing her a lullaby that my mother taught me. All of them are listening to my song and look comforted. Then the peace keeper is asking them to leave and they do but they each give me a hug and say thank you.

Finally I'm waiting with my mother and she is telling me that I need to keep eating and that I need to put on a bit of weight and that I need to train a lot especially because I already know how to use an axe from work.

I work in the forest with every other person in district 7 since I'm so small I climb each tree and cut branches off the top of each tree before they are chopped down.

After our half an hour, Tyler and I are escorted to the train station and there are a lot of cameras there. I clear my face and walk into the train and wave to my family my mother and father are signing to me that they love me and I sign it back to them and the train speeds off.

At dinner Tyler and I met our mentors Tyler probably already knows them because his mentor is his dad and Johanna is his next-door-neighbour. I also meet my translator. She is from the capitol but she looks like she came from a district. She looks normal but well taken care of. She has makeup on but not anything major like some capital people. Her name is Jessica.


	2. Chapter 2

After dinner Johanna, Jessica and I went to my room. Johanna explains to me what going to happen in the next few days. "So when we get to the capitol you're going to meet your stylist and they are going to make you beautiful. Whatever you do don't resist. Then to opening ceremonies. And then you're going to go into the training center and live there till the games."

"Ok she's got it." Jessica translates for me.

Then we go to another cart watch the reaping of all the districts. Tyler and Troy meet us there and Troy is silently crying. Tyler's piercing blues eyes find my green ones and once I look at him he looks away.

After the reaping I go back to my room and see that there are two beds and wonder if Tyler is sleeping in my room too when Jessica sits on the smaller bed. Jessica and I talked about strategies for a while. I was drawing with some coloured pencils and paper I asked an attendant for. I was drawing outfits for the opening ceremonies. Jessica wanted to see what I had been drawing and I showed her.

It was a person in a tree outfit their body was the trunk and from their shoulders up was green leafy foliage and some apples on it. Then I flipped the page and it was the same tree person but the foliage was autumn colours and the apples were big leaves. Then on another piece of paper it was the same tree person but the foliage was gone and there were branches and the big leaves were big snowflakes. Then I flipped that page and it was the tree person and green foliage but the snowflakes are flowers.

"It's to show the seasons of change right?" asked Jessica.

I nodded and signed that she was right but it was the changing seasons of an apple tree.

"We have to show this to Johanna and see what she thinks maybe if we get it to your stylist in time then they could make it happen." Jessica said.

We rushed to Johanna's room she was still awake and when she said we could enter Jessica showed her my drawings. "These are great I'll make sure to send them immediately to your stylist but I can't guaranty they with like it but it's worth a shot." She said I could tell that Johanna was in a great mind set and that we would be able to get along and train without any problem.

The next morning we're sitting at the table and eating breakfast. Tyler was quiet and Troy has puffy eyes. Jessica and I are sitting and signing about dreams we had. I looked at Tyler and notice that he was looking at me but once I look at him he looks away and starts talking to Johanna about what the noise from her room was.

"Oh Arianna had a great idea for your outfit for the opening ceremonies." She said.

"Ok cool." Then Tyler looks at his plate.

After dinner the train has stopped at the station and we are brought to the remake center.

My remake team are looking at my naked body and are discussing what to do with me. They begin by ripping all the hair off my body so I'm pink and throbbing. Then they look at my face and continue on my body. As Johanna told me I don't resist.

Then I put in a room with a man in white clothing. He turns to see me and smiles. "Hello Arianna I saw your drawings and loved them. So I got started working on them right away." He said and hands me a bathrobe. I look behind me as the sound of the door opening and see Jessica.

"Sorry I'm late Georgian." She says.

"You like her designs" Jessica translates for me.

"Yes I do and surprisingly I could get it finished before you came in here." He says.


	3. The Opening Ceremonies

Next thing I know I'm in a brown leotard and my face is not covered with makeup just a bit I guess to counter act the lights. I next to a chariot with brown horses and Tyler comes over in the same outfit as me. The chariot has two chairs that are brown accept for the top which is the foliage that was in my drawing. Georgian says that it will change seasons as we go down the road. The music begins to play and Tyler and I are sitting on our chairs and then Georgian runs up to us and tells us to hold hands.

What hold hands aren't we suppose to be enemies? As our chariot rides out the apples begin to appear on the tree. We're smiling and my hand is against the chair then Tyler grabs it and holds our hands high. I look at him and his bright blue eyes are dazzling in the orange light coming from the tree behind him. He smiles at me and we looked at the crowd and wave. After president Snow speaks to the tribute about the games we are pulled to the training center where we will be staying till the games.

Once we get to the training center we are directed to go into elevators Tyler still holding my hand runs us to the elevator and we get one by ourselves.

He has my right hand so I pull it away to sign to him and then realise that he won't be able to read it so I do my best at acting it out. I rub my wrist.

"Oh sorry did I hurt your wrist?" He says with a lot of emotion. "Is it alright?" I nod and we arrive on our floor. It's the most luxurious place I've ever seen.

Georgian and Tyler's stylist along with Troy and Johanna are there looking us smiling. Jessica and Green come out of the elevator and Jessica tells me that I was great. And we all walk to dinner and it's amazing. The dining room table is on a balcony and we can look out on The Capitol. We sit at the table and eat.

"So how did you feel about the opening?" Green asked.

"I found it ok but I think no one could take their eyes off Arianna." He says turning to me.

I blush and sign to Jessica. "She says that she thinks it was probably your enthusiastic hand holding and that they were probably looking at the tree not at you guys." Tyler looks at his plate like he did this morning.

When dinners over we go to the living room and watch the opening ceremonies. All the other pairs of tributes can't look as dazzling as us with the beautiful tree changing seasons.

When each tributes cart has filed in to the training center I get up and Jessica and I walk to our room. I need a lot of sleep if I am to be alert in the games.

'Training tomorrow right?' I sign to Jessica.

"I think so." She says.


	4. Training

Morning I take a shower which is weird. It's like a warm rain in the forest but there is no smell of pine. Pine is my favourite sent but I've never told anyone.

When I get out of the shower Jessica is at the door asking if I'm in there and I answer with two notes and she I guess walks to go wait.

When breakfast is done, Johanna pulls me and Jessica to her room so we can talk about training. "So training, what are you good at?" she asks me.

"Well she says she's good with axes and she can fly through trees." Jessica translates for me.

"Ok well I want you to practice a little with the axes because they are different from the ones from home but if you get the hang of it never hit the target look bad at it till your private training." Johanna tells me and I nod. "Flying around is not something you want to show anyone till your private training." She pauses. "Can you learn fast?' she asks.

"Well she has a photographic memory, nice, and she can learn fast because of it." Jessica translates. "She also says that if you want her to keep it a secret she could look at the instructors doing it and learn how then pretend to be bad at it."

"Yes just what I want, got it?" she says and I nod.

Green takes Tyler and me down to the training area. When the elevator doors open we see that all the other tributes are there and waiting. Each pair has a cloth number on their backs and when we step out two Avox's, people that have done a crime and now have no tongue so they can't talk, pin the number 7 to my back and Tyler's. We sit and the head trainer Atala explains what we are to do: we are to train with the expert trainers at each station; we can go from station to station as we wish, we can practice with an Avox and we are not to practice with another tribute. Then she lets us go.

The careers the tribute from 1, 2 and 4 go to the weapons immediately and handle them with ease. The careers have had training before the games which is against the law but they always get away with it. One of them are probably going to be the winner, they usually are.

Tyler has gone to learn how to use a sword. I go to learn how to tie a knot.

"Do you want me to show you?" asks the trainer and I nod. He shows me how to do a simple knot and I get it at my first try. By the end of the hour I have learned all the knots he could show me and I can make them without fail. I wave to him and I go to the edible plant station.

"Never eat a plant that you are not 100% sure it's not poisonous." Says the trainer. I look through the book and learn about each plant. After about another hour I'm off to the dining room for lunch while the game makers talk with the trainers. The careers eat together to show that they are going to team up in the games.

After lunch we go back to the training room. And I try to throw axes Johanna was right they are different from home but I get the hang of it after a few minutes but I never even try to hit the target.

The boy from district 1 comes over and hits the target after a couple tries and then looks at me like I'm stupid. He has short blond hair and brown eyes and a smug smile on his face. "You're supposed to hit to round thing that's coloured or are you colour blind too." The girl from district 4 is there by his side and is laughing she has grey blue eyes but they're not very pretty and her hair is a brown with a lot of highlights guess her stylist liked the looked on her but she looks stupid to me. I walk off the sling shot station after about half an hour I've mastered it but I make myself look bad. Then we are asked to go back to our rooms to rest for the night.

When I get to the 7th floor I run straight to my room and start to cry. But then I stop and curl into a ball and think of home. I hate it when I cry cause I don't sound like a normal person crying with that I think of how I'm different and it hurts so much that I stop and just calm down. Jessica walks in and asks me what's wrong I sign to her about what the boy from 1 said to me and she tells me that she will talk to Johanna.

At Dinner we all sit and eat. Georgian talks to Troy about the weather but it quickly dyes away. Then Johanna asks Tyler and me how training went.

"It was fun I learned a lot and I think the careers want me to join." Tyler says.

"That's great how about you Arianna?" Troy asks me. I sign to Jessica to tell them about my day and she tells them.

"Well today she learned about plants, knots, sling shot and she tried out the axes but she said that none of the suit her." Jessica begins and Johanna winks at me. "She also had a bad conversation with the boy from 1." Jessica continues.

"With the boys from 1?" asked Tyler.

"Yes, she was practicing axes and she's not very good at it when the boy from 1 told her that she needed to hit the target and then questioned whether or not she was colour blind too and the girl from 4 laughed with him." Jessica finished.

Johanna was furious. "Ok I'm going to go talk to their mentors and tell them to lay off my tribute." She roared and stomped of to the elevator and I smashed my hands to the table to get her attention.

"She says not to do that. She can handle it and in the games it will give her incentive to kill them." Jessica interpreted my fast signing, wow she's good.

"Then how are you going to restrain yourself from killing them before the games?" asks Tyler.

"She can block them out till then." Jessica tells him.


	5. Private Session

Days later at lunch each tribute is taken out to go do their private session, boy then girl. Once Tyler walks in to the training room I begin to think of what to do. I've mastered everything in that room I'll show the game makers that I will win.

Then I'm called in. I walk in and see the game makers in purple are watching me as I walk to the center of the room I show 7 fingers to the game makers to show them which district I'm from. I walk to the axes area and throw one at a dummy and chop off its neck. Then I turn to the station across from the axe station and look at the sword center and throw the axe and the dummy's head for sword practice falls off. The I walk to the wrestling center and show the avox what I want them to do. The two avox make a cradle with their hands and with my axes in my belt I push myself from the avox hands into the rafters. The game makers gasp and I grab a rafter. I begin to fly around the training room. Swinging from rafter to rafter and with my two axes cut down the sand bag for boxing and then I let go of the ceiling and with another gasp I land on the sandbag like it's an animal and with my other axe I cut it open like an animal's throat. Then I show them all the other weapons I can us finally the head game maker says I can go back to my floor. When I get back to my floor I realise that I was in there for about an hour guess they liked me.

Jessica and Johanna follow me to my room and ask how training went I told them about my session and Johanna likes the sound of it.

"You did great Arianna you're going to have sponsors coming out of your ears." She says.

After the private sessions the game makers release a score for each tribute telling audience how well we did in training. From 1-12 1 being really bad and 12 being unattainably high. No details are released to keep our talents secret. This gives the audience ideas on who to bet for because this is just a show to them not a reminder that rebellion must never happen again or that The Capitol controls the districts. No they think we enjoy this.

After dinner we watch the training score are shown. The boy from 1 gets a 10 and the girl from 4 gets a 9. All the careers got high score but the boy from district 1 got the highest. Then Tyler's face shows up he get a 9 which is really good normally district 7 get low scores. Then my face shows up and the number 11 is flashing in front of my face and I am in amazement. I look to Jessica and she starts hugging me and telling me that I did a great job. I'm still amazed that I could have gotten an 11.


End file.
